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The 6 Colours You'll Find in Almost Every Stylish Scandinavian Home

Ask an Australian what a typical Scandinavian home looks like, and you'll probably get the same response: minimal and all-white. Sure, the Swedes are known for perfecting the whitewashed look, but after a recent trip to Denmark and Sweden, I realised that the reason their interiors are so stunning isn't the lack of colour—it's the sparing use of it.

When I walked into my Airbnb in Copenhagen's meatpacking district, the first thing I noticed was the unique choice of colours: Natural materials like raw wood and buttery leather peppered the room while muted, dusty hues added depth. Colours that I'd never even considered decorating with—amber, moss green, and rust—worked seamlessly in the pared-back space, almost as if they were neutrals.

"We always look to nature to inspire the colours we use," a Norwegian friend explained when I asked about the interesting choice of hues in her home. "The washed-out greens and blues of the fjords are a good example; Mother Nature never gets it wrong." She's right—every Scandinavian home, restaurant, and hotel I saw during my trip featured a similar palette of six colours: dusty pink, amber, deep blue, forest green, moss, and pale ice blue. By layering a few accessories in these colours on a white or cream base, Scandinavians make their homes look effortlessly cool.

Fresh back from the trip, these are some of the lessons I learned about decorating with colour the Scandi way.

Decorating with colour needn't be intimidating. Rather than choose bright, statement hues, Scandinavians opt for subtle shades inspired by nature—that way, you know it'll never look forced or out of place. For example, moss green pairs easily with other forest hues like mottled cedar or charcoal.

If you're nervous about introducing unusual Scandinavian colours like dusty pink or rust in your home, start small. Translucent accessories like a coloured glass votive are a great way to test out a new hue.

Just as Scandinavians look to the landscape to inspire their choice of colours, they do they same with materials. You'll find worn wood floorboards and buttery soft leather chairs in almost every cool Swedish home, adding natural warmth to an otherwise white-and-cream space.

It's worth pointing out that quality is key here. Scandinavians invest in well-made furniture so that the leather or wood wears well with time. Choose a quality item like a statement leather chair that'll only look better with age.

The Danish are obsessed with plants. The streets of Copenhagen brim with dedicated cactus and succulent stores, and every shopfront and home has a windowsill packed with plants. Aside from adding a touch of life and texture to a home, plants also inject colour—in a totally non-committal way. Interestingly, I noticed that greenery in Danish homes wasn't actually green. Instead, Danes often choose plants that add unique colours to the room, like dried red leaves or a purple-tinged rubber plant.

Embrace Dusty Hues

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Fantastic Frank

Time and time again, I noticed one colour stood out in every cool interior: amber. It's not a shade we see in many Australian homes, but in Sweden, it's used in abundance. While first skeptical, I eventually saw why amber works so well in Scandinavian homes. It's dusty and muted, like the other colours in their palette, and adds a hint of warmth to rooms that feature white, blue, and charcoal. In some cases, amber items were so subtle that they basically appeared to be another neutral.

Create Character With Mismatched Accessories

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Fantastic Frank

Our favourite Australian interiors are often styled to perfection, but Scandinavian homes are the polar opposite. In fact, imperfection is prized, and it's not strange to see a dining table styled with an odd assortment of chairs in mismatched shapes and colours. This eclectic approach to decorating makes it easier to add streaks of colour—it's not precious; it's playful.

Layer Different Shades

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Fantastic Frank

We hear you: Mixing and matching colours can be a stressful ordeal, so Scandinavians have found a solution. Simply choose one colour, like blue, and layer accents in different shades of that colour to add subtle variation. As you get more comfortable with that colour, you can dial up the intensity or pair with similar shades, like teal or fjord green.